This bill seeks to enhance the penalties associated with the crime of invasion of privacy in New Jersey by upgrading certain offenses and eliminating the presumption of nonimprisonment for these crimes. Specifically, it amends the existing law to classify the act of observing another person without consent, under circumstances where a reasonable person would not expect to be observed, from a fourth-degree crime to a third-degree crime. Additionally, the bill removes the presumption of nonimprisonment for individuals convicted of this offense. Furthermore, the bill upgrades the crime of photographing or disclosing images of another person’s intimate parts without consent from a third-degree crime to a second-degree crime.

The penalties for these upgraded offenses are significant; a third-degree crime carries a potential prison term of three to five years and a fine of up to $15,000, while a second-degree crime can result in five to ten years of imprisonment and fines up to $150,000. The bill also amends N.J.S.2C:44-1 to include the newly classified third-degree invasion of privacy crime in the list of offenses that do not qualify for the presumption of nonimprisonment. This legislative change aims to strengthen the legal framework surrounding privacy violations and deter such conduct by imposing stricter penalties.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 2C:14-9